Ernie Dickerman
Encyclopedia
Ernest Miller Dickerman was an American wilderness
advocate and conservationist. Known as the "Grandfather of Eastern Wilderness", he was particularly instrumental in securing legal protection for wild land in Virginia and eastern United States.
, where his mother later died from tuberculosis
. Dickerman and his two siblings went to boarding schools. He attended Gettysburg Academy in Pennsylvania, and then Oberlin College
, graduating in 1931 with a degree in economics.
In 1934 he moved to Knoxville to work for the newly established Tennessee Valley Authority
(TVA). After three and a half years he left TVA to work as a production manager with the Patent Button Company of Tennessee, and stayed for nearly twenty years. While in Knoxville, Dickerman became enamored of the Smoky Mountains. He spent much of his free time hiking and camping in the mountains, later stating "When I found the Smoky Mountains... I knew I had found what I was looking for on this planet."
, one of the eight founders of The Wilderness Society
. Dickerman signed on as one of The Society's charter members shortly after its inception in 1935, eventually joining the staff in 1966.
Dickerman was recruited by The Wilderness Society to organize public opposition to a proposal to build a second trans-mountain highway through 22 miles (35.4 km) of remote ridges and forests of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from Bryson City, North Carolina, to Townsend, Tennessee. Since this project was a favorite of National Park Service
's Director George Hartzog, the fight was long and hard. Dickerman traveled the country, giving speeches and organizing hikes in order to raise public awareness of the damage such a project would inflict on the park. After seven years of controversy, Hartzog was forced to abandon the proposal.
After that victory, Dickerman's main goal was to apply the newly passed Wilderness Act
of 1964 to the eastern United States. He traveled widely, giving lectures on the importance of wilderness and the benefits the Act offered. Known for his quiet passion and amiable nature, he gained a reputation as a formidable speaker. Dickerman moved to Washington, D.C., headquarters of The Society, in 1969. His intense lobbying paid off when, in 1975, President Gerald Ford
signed the Eastern Wilderness Act
. Acknowledging that eastern forests could one day recover their natural appearance, the act recognized sixteen new wildernesses in the Eastern United States, totaling nearly 207,000 acres
While working for The Wilderness Society, Dickerman also acted as manager for the Robert Marshall Wilderness Fund
.
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
advocate and conservationist. Known as the "Grandfather of Eastern Wilderness", he was particularly instrumental in securing legal protection for wild land in Virginia and eastern United States.
Early life and career
Born in Austin, Illinois, Dickerman moved at the age of three to the Adirondacks. When he was six, his family relocated to Richmond, VirginiaRichmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, where his mother later died from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. Dickerman and his two siblings went to boarding schools. He attended Gettysburg Academy in Pennsylvania, and then Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
, graduating in 1931 with a degree in economics.
In 1934 he moved to Knoxville to work for the newly established Tennessee Valley Authority
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...
(TVA). After three and a half years he left TVA to work as a production manager with the Patent Button Company of Tennessee, and stayed for nearly twenty years. While in Knoxville, Dickerman became enamored of the Smoky Mountains. He spent much of his free time hiking and camping in the mountains, later stating "When I found the Smoky Mountains... I knew I had found what I was looking for on this planet."
The Wilderness Society
He became a member of the Conservation Committee of the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club, where he became close friends with attorney and Knoxville-native Harvey BroomeHarvey Broome
Harvey Benjamin Broome was an American lawyer, writer and conservationist. A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Broome was a founding member of The Wilderness Society, for which he served as president from 1957 until his death in 1968, and played a key role in the establishment of the Great Smoky...
, one of the eight founders of The Wilderness Society
The Wilderness Society (United States)
The Wilderness Society is an American organization that is dedicated to protecting America's wilderness. It was formed in 1935 and currently has over 300,000 members and supporters.-Founding:The society was incorporated on January 21, 1935...
. Dickerman signed on as one of The Society's charter members shortly after its inception in 1935, eventually joining the staff in 1966.
Dickerman was recruited by The Wilderness Society to organize public opposition to a proposal to build a second trans-mountain highway through 22 miles (35.4 km) of remote ridges and forests of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from Bryson City, North Carolina, to Townsend, Tennessee. Since this project was a favorite of National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
's Director George Hartzog, the fight was long and hard. Dickerman traveled the country, giving speeches and organizing hikes in order to raise public awareness of the damage such a project would inflict on the park. After seven years of controversy, Hartzog was forced to abandon the proposal.
After that victory, Dickerman's main goal was to apply the newly passed Wilderness Act
Wilderness Act
The Wilderness Act of 1964 was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society. It created the legal definition of wilderness in the United States, and protected some 9 million acres of federal land. The result of a long effort to protect federal wilderness, the Wilderness Act was signed...
of 1964 to the eastern United States. He traveled widely, giving lectures on the importance of wilderness and the benefits the Act offered. Known for his quiet passion and amiable nature, he gained a reputation as a formidable speaker. Dickerman moved to Washington, D.C., headquarters of The Society, in 1969. His intense lobbying paid off when, in 1975, President Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
signed the Eastern Wilderness Act
Eastern Wilderness Act
The Eastern Wilderness Act was signed into law by President Gerald Ford on January 3, 1975. Built upon the 1964 Wilderness Act, which was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the Act designated 16 new wilderness areas in the...
. Acknowledging that eastern forests could one day recover their natural appearance, the act recognized sixteen new wildernesses in the Eastern United States, totaling nearly 207,000 acres
While working for The Wilderness Society, Dickerman also acted as manager for the Robert Marshall Wilderness Fund
Bob Marshall (wilderness activist)
Robert "Bob" Marshall was an American forester, writer and wilderness activist. The son of wealthy constitutional lawyer and conservationist Louis Marshall, Bob Marshall developed a love for the outdoors as a young child...
.
Retirement and later life
After retiring from The Society in 1976, at the age of 65, Dickerman moved to his nephew's farm in Buffalo Gap, Virginia. However, he continued to work as an advocate for wilderness preservation. Soon after his retirement, he was elected president of the Virginia Wilderness Committee, and he served as mentor to a new generation of conservationists and lobbyists for wild land protection. He presided over the passage of two major wilderness bills for Virginia, in 1984 and 1988. Shortly before his death at the age of 87, he composed the following announcement:On (date) Ernest M. "Ernie" Dickerman, a lifelong bachelor, died at the age of 87 by his own hand as he had long planned, on the little old farm in the Allegheny Mountains where he had lived since retiring in 1976. "Quit while you are ahead" is sound philosophy, both in poker and in life. For over sixty years, as an amateur or as a professional, he was an active conservationist, especially in wilderness preservation.